Is it just be that found the trailer for "In Bruges" to be deceitful?

Submitted by notoliberals t3_11cprcx in movies

I was browsing the web for a dark humor crime comedy to cheer myself up, and I came across the trailer for "In Bruges". I really liked it and decided to watch. Instead of getting what I was promised in the trailer, I got a depressing mess that was clearly no what was promised.

Did I miss something about the trailer?

P.S. A lot of people seem to really take this post really personally... If you liked the movie, fine - whatever floats your boat...but it doesn't change the fact that the trailer was NOTHING like the movie itself.

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wilsonw t1_ja4cdxo wrote

I wouldn't call it a mess. It's a great film.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4cp0m wrote

Maybe it is, but it is nothing like in the trailer. It is like ordering a big mac and getting a molecular gastronomy dish instead. Clearly not what was promissed...

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wilsonw t1_ja4dtgv wrote

Movie trailers are designed to get butts in seats. They are made by a different company all together usually. The director rarely has any input.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4emne wrote

I mean...it is like whoever was in charge of marketing realized that the real movie would appeal to very few people and instead presented it as a Guy Richie-type comedy that many people would have been glad to watch.

I have made this post mostly because I was furious at getting tricked into wasting 2 hours watching something totally different from what I was promised. For over an hour, I watched the movie waiting for the depressing bit to end and for the fun comedy action to finally start, and never got it.

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wilsonw t1_ja4ftwf wrote

A movie trailer isn't a promise. You haven't been wronged.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4g8je wrote

Than what is it?

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wilsonw t1_ja4i8od wrote

It's advertising. It's like complaining the Big Mac in a commercial doesn't look the same as the one you bought.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4iqlg wrote

That would be a fair complaint as far as I am concerned. Presenting your product in your advertisement in a way it is misrepresentation of it is THE definition of false advertising...

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thewackjob t1_ja4fvtm wrote

Why did you sit through a whole 2 hour movie that you weren’t enjoying?

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4g6ee wrote

Sunk costs fallacy I guess...by the time I fully realized I was cheated by the trailer I was already way past the middle of the movie.... I might as well see how it all ends...

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Much-Ad-7260 t1_ja5u5og wrote

Easy solution for you, don't watch trailers so you don't have false expectations. Going mostly blind into movies is much better.

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Cw2e t1_ja4cz1v wrote

Definitely misleading but I feel like a lot of dark comedies have or used to have those kind of trailers to get butts in seats. The Lobster immediately comes to mind. While it’s a very good dark comedy, the trailer feels really whimsical and silly compared to the true tone of the film.

That being said, I found In Bruges to also be absolutely hilarious despite how dark it was. Definitely not the action comedy in the trailer but a very well done flick

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4dv4d wrote

The tones are mismatched. That is probably the greatest problem. I imagine that most people when viewing the trailer are looking at the tone and judging if it would match what they want to watch. In "The Bruges" the tone is completely off. So much so that I would go on to call it false advertising. Whoever are the audience for the film as it is presented in the trailer (like myself), are unlikely to be the audience for the movie as it really is.

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Cw2e t1_ja4f2im wrote

That’s not false advertising. The trailer depicted characters in the town of Bruges where the film took place, it showed the marketed actors who were in the film, and gave the name of the film. Trailers are allowed to be creatively misleading for marketing purposes, that doesn’t reach the threshold for false advertising.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4ffo1 wrote

> Trailers are allowed to be creatively misleading for marketing purposes, that doesn’t reach the threshold for false advertising.

That sounds like something a lawyer defending the fraudsters in court might say. The point is that it didn't honestly depict the product that was actually there. I got something other than what I was promised in the trailer.

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Sks44 t1_ja4q7wm wrote

It was a dark humor comedy that involved criminals.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4qs2s wrote

I totally missed the "humour" part. The movie was more depressing than it was funny - not a wacky comedy as the trailer promised.

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Sks44 t1_ja4r0tm wrote

You said you wanted “dark humor” and now lament the lack of “wacky comedy”?

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4s3k0 wrote

Yes, I wanted a dark humour wacky comedy. Like Snatch and the like. That is what the trailer clearly promises.

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Sks44 t1_ja4slth wrote

Guy Ritchie isn’t dark humor. It’s more traditional British crime comedy.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4t381 wrote

Fine, but my point is that the "In Bruges" trailer suggested that this movie would also be just that: a "traditional British crime comedy". Instead, it is what it is.

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Appropriate_Focus402 t1_ja69v9n wrote

Dude. All dark comedy comes off as “depressing” for some people. It’s dark. Snatch isn’t at all dark, so stop externalizing your idiotic mistake. Go watch Bullet Train and google genres.

Most dark comedies CANT really show what they’re doing in the trailer. It’s partly a marketing thing, and partly your duty to know what you’re watching

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mailboxfacehugs t1_ja8i88d wrote

That was so wacky when they burned down the caravan with Brad Pitts mom inside.

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bolshevik_rattlehead t1_ja4mr10 wrote

A deceitful trailer?!

Really though, In Bruges is one of the great dark comedy crime films. Didn’t you get exactly what you want?

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4o3w0 wrote

I am not sure we have the same definition of the word "comedy" in mind. At no point did I find it particularly funny. Mostly depressing

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[deleted] t1_ja4p8pt wrote

[removed]

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bolshevik_rattlehead t1_ja4pr2y wrote

Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, gallows humor, or dark humor is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discuss.

Not sure what your definition of “dark comedy” is but I’ll roll with this one, and I think this sums up In Bruges perfectly.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4rhm6 wrote

Not every dark movie constitutes as a comedy. It needs to be FUNNY to be a comedy. I absolutely don't deny that the movie is dark...it is just not a comedy in any normal sense of the word...particularly not in the way it was represented in the trailer.

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bolshevik_rattlehead t1_ja4stms wrote

LOL. First you definite “comedy” and then “dark” but somehow miss the connector DARK COMEDY which is also EXACTLY what you wanted. In Bruges is one of the great “dark humor crime comedy” films.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4tcmy wrote

Let me just make a small correction to your statement:

​

>In Bruges is one of the great “dark humor crime comedy”

​

It is not a comedy. At least not in the way the trailer suggested it would be.

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bolshevik_rattlehead t1_ja4w1bq wrote

Nice semantics. It is a dark comedy. It is brooding and dark and also quite funny and poignant. I thought that’s what you asked for?

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4yity wrote

Brooding and funny don't go together

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bolshevik_rattlehead t1_ja4z4wl wrote

They do in dark comedies, you know, like the ones you asked for? 😉

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4zfnl wrote

I asked for a Snatch type movie. At least that is what the trailer promised.

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HEHEHO2022 t1_ja4z7b7 wrote

not having a go but look at the reaction this thread got. youre clearly in the minority so dont you see that maybe you just didnt find it funny but its STILL a comedy film that many others find funny.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4ziy6 wrote

Ok. I may be in the minority, but I firmly stand by my opinion.

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HEHEHO2022 t1_ja500ot wrote

so you honestly think the films NOT comedy simply because YOU didnt find it funny.

just some advise dont go into movie criticism as a career.

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khirn t1_ja4toqq wrote

If you don’t think In Bruges is hilarious, you need your sense of humor transplanted. There are so many hilarious lines and moments, nearly every scene is gold. Honestly, guessing most of it flew right over your head ngl.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4ul4v wrote

Not my cup of tea. I really enjoyed Snatch and Lock Stock though...the trailer for this movie suggested to me that it would be of a similar sort...

It might be a very good movie for a particular crowd, but it was clearly misadvertised. Had the trailer been honest, I would have not watched the movie and wouldn't be posting here.

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-No_Im_Neo_Matrix_4- t1_ja86xb8 wrote

I was fortunate to first see In Bruges in a philosophy class. The trailer uses music to play up marketability, but you see a basic idea of the humor, and even see that >!Ray killed a little boy!<, which should tell you that this is going to be very dark and fucked up.

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ingloriousbaxter3 t1_ja53iy4 wrote

YOU’RE AN INANIMATE FUCKING OBJECT!

it’s fair if the movie isn’t for you, but In Bruges is pretty much the dictionary definition of dark comedy

The scene where Colin Farrell is about to kill himself is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen

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chodgson625 t1_ja4eis9 wrote

It’s character based humour so once you know the characters, it’s a lot funnier. I’ve seen it 4 times. First time I just thought it was dark and didn’t laugh much but really liked it. Saw it last year for the 4th time (just before going to Bruges on holiday) and pretty much laughed from beginning to end.

Give it another chance some time. Once you know their predicament it substantially changes your attitude to the tourism

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OneAcreWood t1_ja8hs8l wrote

No OP, please don’t give it another chance sometime! I couldn’t stand to have to read through another of these posts, where he doesn’t get the movie and insists everyone else is wrong about it.

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Insane_Overload t1_ja4l6cc wrote

Trailers are not a good way to gauge what a movie will be like as they are designed to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. Hopefully you have learned a lesson for the future

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4ldde wrote

I sure have. What is the good way though?

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BeardMilk t1_ja4psck wrote

Find a reviewer/critic that you generally agree with and then read their reviews.

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Insane_Overload t1_ja4mg3n wrote

I think it depends how much information you are looking for going into the movie. Rotten tomatoes tends to be what I use.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4onfo wrote

I looked at rotten tomatoes and saw very high reviews. I naively thought that it means that the movie is all the trailer promised it to be. Alas, I was deeply mistaken.

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Insane_Overload t1_ja4tf4z wrote

Yeah I think it is good to check a few summaries from there to get a feel what it will be like. Im not sure what dark comedies you have seen in the past but in my experience, there often is a sadder element to them too

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4tv9t wrote

I consider movies like "Snatch" and "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" to be dark comedies. The trailer seemed to suggest that "In Bruges" would of the the same genre. I see a lot of people disagree with me on this.

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CalaveraPrimera t1_ja4fzmy wrote

You know trailers are deceptive and you're judging a movie based on that criteria? Sad

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4grqv wrote

I am judging the movie on the criteria that I wasn't given what I was promised. If I were at a restaurant and ordered a steak to receive a salad instead, I would judge that salad on how good it is as the steak I ordered. When choosing a movie based on the trailer, you expect the movie to be what was promised in the trailer. I got something totally different. Something I didn't want to watch.

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wilsonw t1_ja4hz6v wrote

You realize there are other resources other than the trailer to help you figure out what kind of movie it is.... right?

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4j0ji wrote

Right...but that doesn't change the fact that the trailer was misrepresentive of the movie.

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[deleted] t1_ja4hxte wrote

[removed]

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4j3kd wrote

Pardon?.. If I were judging this movie based solely on the trailer, it would have gotten the top score from me. The trailer was great...it is the movie itself that got me disappointed.

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girafa t1_ja4k33s wrote

Can you show us which trailer you watched?

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4kc8n wrote

Hang on a second, I will try to find it.

This is probably it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-gG2qo_l_A

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Sks44 t1_ja4qpxn wrote

That trailer tells you exactly what the movie is going to be like. It just focuses on Farrell because Americans know him way more than Brendan Gleeson. Especially back in that time.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4r06t wrote

I am not an American, and I am comletely unfamiliar with any of the actors. I was judging the trailer for tone and genre.

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Sks44 t1_ja4r7s4 wrote

And the tone and genre you wanted was a darkly humorous movie about criminals. And that’s what it was.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4rtgs wrote

How was it humorous? It was depressing AF. There may have been a couple of weak jokes, but it was no Snatch or Lock Stock and Two Somoking Barrels. These two were dark, but they were also funny.

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Sks44 t1_ja4sa92 wrote

Neither Ritchie movie was dark. Snatch has moments but it isn’t dark.

The dialogue and several scenes in In Bruges are comedic. The interactions between Ken and Harry are funny. Going out drinking with the racist little person was funny. If you didn’t think the ending was dark humor, you may not enjoy dark humor the way you think.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4sq9q wrote

We are arguing semantics now. We have a different definition of what we consider "dark". Regardless, whatever "In Bruges" it wasn't what was promised in the trailer, and I am not the only one to think that. Browse reddit for "misleading trailers" threads and you will find this movie in a lot of them.

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Sks44 t1_ja4tr25 wrote

We aren’t arguing semantics. Guy Ritchie movies aren’t dark comedies. Monty Python has done darker shit that Guy Ritchie.

And, tbh, if you take are looking for a movies “tone” from a trailer, you don’t realize that trailers are not made by the filmmakers. They are made by outside companies.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4ud5a wrote

>you don’t realize that trailers are not made by the filmmakers. They are made by outside companies.

I fully realise that. I am saying that whoever made it clearly intended to mislead people about the sort of movie it is. At no point did I suggest that the filmmakers are the ones responsible for it.

>Guy Ritchie movies aren’t dark comedies.

I consider them to be dark comedies. Perhaps not the darkest there are but they are still dark.

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mps5002 t1_ja5v6w3 wrote

I love a good guy Richie movie but others are right in saying they are not dark. I’m not trying to pile on. I’m just pointing out that you calling these movies dark comedy is what lead to all the confusion. Just look for crime comedies

  • the gentlemen
  • the ladykillers
  • welcome to colinswood
  • any movie where washed up action stars are part of a heist
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woozerschoob t1_ja697rr wrote

You're just using the wrong definition and I don't think you even know what dark humor is based on your comments.

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ChristopherMarchant t1_ja8hbqc wrote

That trailer is perhaps a little lighter than the tone of the movie, but this isn’t to say that In Bruges isn’t funny

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mistercloob t1_ja4wiq3 wrote

Does anyone know if it’s currently on any streaming services? I’ve been wanting to rewatch this for a while especially after rewatching Lobster and Banshees.

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notoliberals OP t1_ja4yfqz wrote

Have you tries googling "In Bruges watch online (free)"?

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mistercloob t1_ja4ykcb wrote

My iPad can be kind of annoying on those sites due to the pop ups, but yeah seems I’m gonna have to go that route it’s not on anything

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ingloriousbaxter3 t1_ja53dfm wrote

I can’t attest to any less than legal means, but I use the app Just Watch all the time to figure out where to find stuff.

I’m not finding In Bruges free on anything

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Phoeptar t1_ja52h9i wrote

I was confused reading your title, and thought I better go and double check and rewatch the trailer to what I thought was one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Yep, trailer shows a wild ride comedy which it totally was so 🤷‍♂️

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kranta11 t1_ja54mvo wrote

Lol at the PS - you are one to talk. What a whiny brat. Or an inanimate object.

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Rayliex t1_ja51tiz wrote

Ooo I just watched this last night. Whilst I too thought it was going to be a lot more fun before I watched it (not because of any trailer, I almost never see trailers before watching films) I still really loved it.

I think I was expecting something more like Hot Fuzz for some reason? But it fell more in line with Martin McDonagh's other films and that still works well for me. It has it's own type of comedy that I enjoy (love a good jest against the Americans).

Can't say much about the trailer, maybe next time don't watch trailers? I find going in with a loose sense of what the movie is about is best and surprise surprise you get less misled cause there wasn't much there to mislead you from the start.

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yanks2413 t1_ja5ggg9 wrote

Its hilarious. So many genuinely laugh out loud moments. Maybe you just get offended easily since they mock like every race and nationality. But it's definitely funny. It is also sad at times. But mostly funny.

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OneAcreWood t1_ja6aucv wrote

I wish I had the 5 minutes back that I just wasted reading this post hoping to get to the part where OP realizes he’s wrong and backs down. Geeeez!

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Chris22533 t1_ja7r9sb wrote

The guy is a self described fascist. He probably didn’t get the movie because he doesn’t have a sense of empathy.

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OneAcreWood t1_ja82pag wrote

Or, apparently, a refined sense of humor. He probably enjoys Jerry Lewis movies.

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Councilist_sc t1_ja7esiy wrote

Man In Bruges was a great film. I found it funny all the way through. I loved Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleason in there, they work so well together. Definitely something I can watch again anytime and get a lot of enjoyment.

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theblackfool t1_ja5l11x wrote

So the argument is that it's false advertising because you didn't find the movie funny even though most people do?

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lucia-pacciola t1_ja61ofh wrote

It took me three tries to get through this movie. On the third try, I finally realized how hilarious it is.

On the other hand, Sexy Beast isn't nearly as funny as it looks at first glance, but it makes up for that in sheer intensity and narrative tension.

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BackwardsMarathon t1_ja6h97n wrote

Here's the thing, they had no idea how to really market In Bruges. McDonagh's next film Seven Psychopath's even makes fun of the movie that In Bruges' trailer tries to sell, but yes, in reality, it is much different. I think it's a beautiful haunting and meditative dark comedy, and that's not what the trailer sells at all. It sells a hitman dark comedy that's quick, snappy, and breezy. Sometimes PR people just have no idea how to sell the movie.

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CorgiGal89 t1_ja78x8t wrote

Dark comedy can be depressing. It's a part of the genre. The Menu was also a dark comedy and also depressing if you think about it.

The trailer wasn't deceitful at all

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RyzenRaider t1_ja5a01k wrote

You didn't miss something about the trailer, the trailer missed something about the movie. The film isn't an action comedy. It's a great, dark comedy drama.

I was also disappointed by the movie on first viewing because I was expecting an action comedy, but revisiting it years later with no incorrect expectations allowed me to appreciate the movie for what it actually is, and not for what it was marketed as.

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Algae_Mission t1_ja5d9v8 wrote

I’m sure Beyoncé isn’t the only one.

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-No_Im_Neo_Matrix_4- t1_ja855ay wrote

It is a dark humor crime comedy, though…. Perhaps we could argue that it’s so absurdist and violent that it crosses from dark humor to black humor.

Maybe you have to be a bit depressed/nihilistic to laugh at Martin McDonagh films, but I find them uproariously funny while also being a bit philosophical. You not finding it funny seems to just be a matter of taste and, perhaps, intellect.

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AlanMorlock t1_ja8okb6 wrote

Really not sure what you were looking for by that description if not In Bruges to be honest. Do you have e other examples of ehat you were looking for?

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KSchmuckley t1_ja8pcg2 wrote

“In Bruges” came out 15 years ago, so you shouldn’t be shocked about what it is. Sure you can watch a trailer, but maybe look at a review or synopsis before saying a wonderful film is a “depressing mess”. Ding dong

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